Spy Car Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Ok, yeah I do have a carbon steal wok. I love that pan. So the carbon-steel skillets are like that, just a little thicker. Great for high-heat searing, sauté and stuff like that. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca VA Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 All-Clad is wonderful!! My cooking went to a whole new level when I traded in my 20-year-old Revere Ware set for All-Clad D5 from Williams-Sonoma. It's just excellent quality, doesn't weigh too much (I have weak wrists and can't manage heavy pots and pans), and cleans up easily. It has a professional feel to it. I just can't praise All-Clad highly enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 (edited) I like paderno. They are expensive at regular cost but they often have deeply discounted sales. Edited September 22, 2012 by Bluegoat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 But RevereWare pans are very thin and therefore cause hot-spots and scorching of food. Sorry, but I think RevereWare is "junk" Bill I have a set that is twenty years old and has the aluminum clad bottoms. It used to be better. It's showing it's age though, and I'm looking for an upgrade. I'm thinking something like All Clad, but the price... All I really want are decent sauce pans and a 6 qt soup pot. Any suggestions? I like pans with this kind of handle: http://www.amazon.com/Cooks-Standard-Multi-Ply-Stainless-Steel-10-Piece/dp/B00421AYJK/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top For $150, I'm real tempted. I know I'll never use those skillets though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 For anyone wondering about cast iron, I do submerge mine in water all the time, and they don't rust unless I leave them in for too long or don't dry them all the way. I usually wipe them with a cloth to dry them. We have a 10" skillet that gets used anywhere from one to three times a day; it's beautiful now. Rarely does anything stick to it, and if something does, it's because we didn't throw in enough fat. It cleans up so nicely too. Our other cast iron is very nice to use, but it's not nearly as non-stick because it's not used nearly as often. The oblong griddle thingy is a bit of a pain to clean, both because it doesn't quite fit in our sink, and because it's not as well-seasoned, but even it is pretty lovely for burgers. The cast iron dutch oven -- marvelous. Sear the meat on the stove, let it slow cook in the oven, and then use the pot to make gravy on the stove again, all without changing pots. I just bought one of these and let it sit on my simmer burner with a pot roast all day. Got to do that again soon. It was awesome! I do want to get a couple little skillets, but due to a shoulder injury, don't see myself getting too much cast iron. A dutch oven and a couple little skillets should do it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 I have been very pleased with these Circulon skillets I purchased recently. My favorite saucepan is Calphalon stainless steel with a glass lid. I wish I liked cast iron, but it is just too heavy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 I love my All-Clad silver pieces - like seriously love them. And I have two Le Creuset items, and those are both great, but especially the dutch oven (I also have the cast iron Le Creuset cast iron pan and I don't use that as much as the others, but still like it.) I doubt I'll ever have to buy anything else because the quality is amazing and they cook everything perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathwonk Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 (edited) in the interest of innocent amusement, i want to say that i not only went to kroger to buy my wife her fry pan present, but i bought not one, not two, but four cheapo pans. after reading this thread i realize this is probably the worst advised gift i have made since back in 1970 when i was living with a vegetarian hindu family, and as my contribution to their cuisine, I brought them 25 pounds of uncle ben's rice. Those of you who know about rice know, in the old format of analogies, we have uncle ben's: basmati:: mirro : all clad. am i catching on? Edited September 22, 2012 by mathwonk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 I have All Clad, Le Creuset and cast iron. I love them all! :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathwonk Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 (edited) ok help me out here: http://www.all-clad.com/Collection/Stainless/ why would i want pay "starting at $95" for a fry pan? when kroger's has them, pretty decent, for $25, and thin cheapo ones for $10? i.e. is this another case of those crooked guys i worked for who marked up cookware 500% or is there a reason for this? Your task is not hopeless, since you are talking to someone who wondered why his wife would want a nice expensive camera instead of a point and click. then when she got it she went from a "chops your head off" photographer to virtually professional level, whose printer asked to display her work in his store. on the other hand i have also noticed that a good grill man can do better on a $70 weber with a bag of charcoal, than the average guy does on a $1200 gas grill. I am afraid the picture of the $135 all clad on amazon looks exactly like the $25 oneida i got at kroger. so please straighten me out. Edited September 22, 2012 by mathwonk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Refined by Silver Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 I love my Rachel Ray hard anodized cookwware. I bought one skillet several years ago and love it and it has held up beautifully. I've used it more than any other cookware and it hasn't worn. This summer I decided to buy the whole set when it went on sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 Wow! Thanks so much for all the advice everyone. I posted the question then left the house for the day. I do have quite a bit of cast iron because we use it camping (most is still packed with our camping gear :001_huh:). I do like using my cast iron pan and Dutch oven because they are well-seasoned and I don't have problems cleaning them. As long as I put them back on the stove to dry them for a few minutes I have no problems with rust. The heavy-ness of them tends to keep me from using them more often. I need to do a little research on all the brands recommended here for stainless. I think you all have talked me out of non-stick except I will probably keep my omelet pan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 RevereWare--stainless with copper bottoms. They last forever. I know people love cast iron, but the thought of everything that was ever cooked in a cast-iron pan still hanging out there in the molecules just sort of grosses me out. :blink: I have 30yo waterless cookware which has been great. I only use a non-stick pan for things like omelets or scrambled eggs. I have my husband's grandmother's RevereWare pans. I had Calphalon envy for the longest time and bought a set when I found a good price. Hated them. They're stashed away for the first kid who moves out. I buy new nonstick frying pans (small and large) once a year--replace as soon as it starts wearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathwonk Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 (edited) well i have done some research based on physical properties of the various metals. It seems that ideally one wants cookware to have high conductivity so that the heat gets to the food quickly and evenly. This saves energy and improves cooking. Guess what the worst metal is for conducting heat among those mentioned here for cookware? Stainless steel. This stuff is good mainly for not rusting, but not much else. The best material (other than maybe gold) is copper. But copper reacts with food and you don't want to eat that much copper, so you want to line a copper pan with something less reactive. Hence the phenomenon of copper bottom pans (like revereware), or "copper core" pans (like all clad). But using stainless steel as a liner defeats the point of having a copper pan, since copper is 25 times as conductive as stainless. So better is apparently tin as a liner. Thus the best pans would be tin lined copper pans. Unfortunately this brings us to the price. Over $300 for a saute pan! yoicks. Here is a link to an obviously biased, but persuasive, source that sells copper ware. Other sources seem to agree however on the physics. http://www.brooklyncoppercookware.com/aboutcopper.html#Lining glad to have been of help. another thing that has frustrated me for years about stainless is how stainless steel knives have taken over so thoroughly from high carbon steel, since stainless is also neither sharp nor sharpenable, just pretty. when i was a kid i had all my knives so sharp they would literally shave and they stayed that way until hard use dulled them, but now none of my steak knives is ever sharp. Except for a few minutes after i sharpen them they won't even slice steak. and they can cost a ton, like $75 each. if you look at them edge on you can see the dull blunt "edge" reflecting light back at you. but they are shiny! by contrast the henry disston saws I got from my grandfather are over 100 years old and have not been sharpened in over 50 years. they have brown/black blades but will still saw right through any branch or small log. http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/d8page.html so party of my point is to choose cookware you need to ask yourself whether you want it to cook evenly, be cheap, long lasting, energy efficient, beautiful, light, safe, non stick, or what? Apparently you can't have it all. Edited September 23, 2012 by mathwonk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Save up if you have to and spend the $ on the best you can afford. I've not bought a pan in 20 years (but I HAVE added to my collection!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 I need to do a little research on all the brands recommended here for stainless. I think you all have talked me out of non-stick except I will probably keep my omelet pan. I have a calphalon omelet pan, and once it's seasoned (correct seasoning is a must!), eggs slip right out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Cast iron is all I will use for pans. And I have a lodge enameled dutch oven. For pots, we have a hodgepodge of a few different ones- gifts and thrift finds. Nothing too special. All do their job- which is to boil water or to sauté a few aromatics before I add the water and bones for broth. I cook a lot and (if I say so myself) well. Never had an egg stick in a cast iron pan unless I personally messed up (too high temp, over cooked the egg) No nonstick allowed in my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 (edited) well i have done some research based on physical properties of the various metals. It seems that ideally one wants cookware to have high conductivity so that the heat gets to the food quickly and evenly. This saves energy and improves cooking. Guess what the worst metal is for conducting heat among those mentioned here for cookware? Stainless steel. This stuff is good mainly for not rusting, but not much else. The best material (other than maybe gold) is copper. But copper reacts with food and you don't want to eat that much copper, so you want to line a copper pan with something less reactive. Hence the phenomenon of copper bottom pans (like revereware), or "copper core" pans (like all clad). But using stainless steel as a liner defeats the point of having a copper pan, since copper is 25 times as conductive as stainless. So better is apparently tin as a liner. Thus the best pans would be tin lined copper pans. Unfortunately this brings us to the price. Over $300 for a saute pan! yoicks. Here is a link to an obviously biased, but persuasive, source that sells copper ware. Other sources seem to agree however on the physics. http://www.brooklyncoppercookware.com/aboutcopper.html#Lining glad to have been of help. There is a mix of truth in this, but also truth that misleads. Stainless steel is a poor conductor of heat relative to copper. That is true. So if you have a tiny layer of copper covering mainly stainless steel (like RevereWare) you are not going to have a good result. But—on the other extreme—you have a heavy copper pan like the French Bourgeat pans that have 2.5mm of copper with a thin layer of stainless steel as the lining then the low conductivity of that stainless steel interior is a very minor issue. The company whose information you quote has a vested interest in promoting tin-lined copper. They are one of the few (perhaps only?) company that still makes tin-lined copper pans. Do these tin-lined pans cook well? Yes, they do. But because copper so conductive and tin has such a low melting point, it is incredibly easy to destroy the tin lining on one of these pans. Tin also scratches incredibly easy. What this means is that tin lined copper pans need to be periodically re-tinned. Re-tinning places used to be fairly common in major cities, but now they are rare. Re-tinning is very costly. Re-tinning costs more than the purchase of many new pans. So almost everyone has given up on tin linings, as the expense of maintenance is not worth the slight advantages in cooking. And conductivity is not the whole issue. Another equally important issue is the even dispersion of heat, and this often comes though thickness/mass. Cast-iron and carbon-steel (which as I've mentioned is under-appreciated by home cooks, while prized by professionals) are not great conductors, but they disperse heat well and evenly. Does a cast-iron or carbon-steel pan require more fuel than copper? Yes. But when they get to a stable temp they still cook well. So there are trade offs. The modern multi-ply pans seek to use higher conductive layers like copper and aluminum with steel interiors (so those other metals don't touch the food). Some of these are very good cookware, but none compare with heavy copper. But heavy copper is $$$$$, All Clad is $$$$, where cast-iron and carbon-steel (also called black steel) is $ or $$. another thing that has frustrated me for years about stainless is how stainless steel knives have taken over so thoroughly from high carbon steel, since stainless is also neither sharp nor sharpenable, just pretty. when i was a kid i had all my knives so sharp they would literally shave and they stayed that way until hard use dulled them, but now none of my steak knives is ever sharp. Except for a few minutes after i sharpen them they won't even slice steak. and they can cost a ton, like $75 each. if you look at then edge on you can see the dull blunt "edge" reflecting light back at you. but they are shiny! I could not agree more. I relish my old French carbon-steel knives and my carbon-steel Japanese "sashimi" knives. They hold an edge that stainless blades do not. Although the Japanese blades with a "Damascene" finish are pretty amazing. so party of my point is to choose cookware you need to ask yourself whether you want it to cook evenly, be cheap, long lasting, energy efficient, beautiful, light, safe, non stick, or what? Apparently you can't have it all. The big issue (at the end of the day) is weight. One can have cheap, safe, even, long-lasting, beautiful, and reasonably efficient. It just won't be light-weight. Even the expensive options are not light-weight. I know that is a legitimate concern for people (such as yourself) that have arthritis. Better pans tend to have better "balance" but that does not solve the whole issue. Bill Edited September 22, 2012 by Spy Car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathwonk Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 (edited) boy this is really interesting. To WendyK, it is true that many high end stainless pans are not all stainless, and should perhaps better be called stainless steel clad, or stainless steel lined. The name fooled me until you pointed it out. However some people primarily concerned with "health" aspects of cookware prefer all stainless and (assertedly) "100% stainless" is apparently available. aha, but this is a pot for boiling water. i wonder if 100% stainless fry pans exist? http://eartheasy.com/blog/2009/01/healthy-cookware/ http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Guaranteed-100-stainless-steel-cookware-casserole-20x12-5cm-High-Quality/491051870.html http://www.aliexpress.com/item/100-guarantee-high-quality-stianless-steel-fry-pan-free-customer-s-logo/392257103.html as pointed out above by Spy Car, cast iron is one of the best in all areas except weight. my wife who i think appreciates beauty, likes the look of this set "for our new house". what do you guys think? http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/calphalon-tri-ply-copper-cookware-10-piece-set?ID=648707&cm_mmc=Google_Feed_pla_pe-_-adtype-pla-_-target-19586772875-_-kw-&gclid=CNvIzNf5ybICFeiPPAod5GgA3g ok i googled your top brand Spy Car. Now we're talking, a $475 fry pan (suggested retail price, discounts available)! (8 inch of course) http://www.culinarycookware.com/bourgeat-copper-cookware/bourgeat-oval-frying-pan.html that would about a month's worth of my net income as a walmart greeter. i wonder how long to get the whole set? Edited September 22, 2012 by mathwonk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 mathwonk, That is a nice set, but it takes time to keep the copper looking beautiful. Williams Sonoma has free shipping on their Calphalon and All-Clad sets. Their site is also a good place to read reviews. http://www.williams-sonoma.com/m/products/calphalon-contemporary-stainless-steel-13-piece-cookware-set/?pkey=e%7Ccalphalon%2Bcookware%2Bsets%7C13%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C15%7C%7C7&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH And http://www.williams-sonoma.com/m/products/all-clad-d5-stainless-smaller-capacity-7-piece-cookware-set/?pkey=e%7Call-clad%2Bcookware%2Bsets%7C24%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C15%7C%7C5&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 as pointed out above by Spy Car, cast iron is one of the best in all areas except weight. my wife who i think appreciates beauty, likes the look of this set "for our new house". what do you guys think? http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/calphalon-tri-ply-copper-cookware-10-piece-set?ID=648707&cm_mmc=Google_Feed_pla_pe-_-adtype-pla-_-target-19586772875-_-kw-&gclid=CNvIzNf5ybICFeiPPAod5GgA3g I would reluctant. One, how much copper is in the outer layer? If there is a lot (unlikely) it will be heavy as all get out. If not it may not be sufficient. Then, as Besroma rightly points out, if you want to keep copper looking like that you better have a butler. I use mine everyday. No way I'm going to polish them after every use. So (while I keep them "clean") the exteriors basically go "black." I do not care because they are incomparable (and very heavy). But they don't look like gleaming copper. ok i googled your top brand Spy Car. Now we're talking, a $475 fry pan (suggested retail price, discounts available)! (8 inch of course) I'm sure an 8" could be had for less than $475. But these sets are expensive, which is why my recommendations were for value oriented alternatives (unless one hits the jack-pot). that would about a month's worth of my net income as a walmart greeter. i wonder how long to get the whole set? Did you look at the $129 set from Walmart I linked to earlier? Do not own these myself, but have read nothing but very positive reviews about these over the years. They also have bigger sets. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathwonk Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 (edited) thank you so much! this is so helpful. i still have another question. here we have maybe a used or scratch and dent stove from the overstock or outlet store. in the "new house" ' we will have a high end wolf gas range. do we need to learn to cook all over? no wait a minute. i think we replaced the scratch and dent stove with a glass top electric range here, yeahh...that's right, but it isn't wolf, so i presume there will be a learning curve. well i searched the $129 tramontina set from walmart and that looks like about our speed. i was also quite amused that a 5 pan set with three lids is called an 8 piece set. it turns the big pasta pot we have is also tramontina and my wife likes it very well. Edited September 23, 2012 by mathwonk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyobu Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 thank you so much! this is so helpful. i still have another question. here we have maybe a used or scratch and dent stove from the overstock or outlet store. in the "new house" ' we will have a high end wolf gas range. do we need to learn to cook all over? no wait a minute. i think we replaced the scratch and dent stove with a glass top electric range here, yeahh...that's right, but it isn't wolf, so i presume there will be a learning curve. Gas ranges are much easier to cook over. The heat is immediately adjusted (rather than waiting for a burner to heat or cool) and you can tell exactly how hot the burner is by how much fire is on your pan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathwonk Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 (edited) this is an attempt to convince some people that cast iron skillets are worth having. here is my mother's aunt's recipe for a simple unsophisticated country chocolate cake that everyone likes (fingers crossed). but i noticed there are no instructions for making it, just ingredients. but i know you put the stuff in a cast iron skillet in some presumably predictable order, and cook it in the oven. we just had one tonight. my wife said she would have preferred it if ours were less well done (we got involved in our conversation on the porch and ignored the beeping oven monitor). but i thought the crispiness it acquired made it better. of course it is usually served with the best quality vanilla ice cream available. of course there is no rule against looking at it in the oven as it cooks. Aunt Azalea’s chocolate cake (Azalea Rudolph Naylor) 1 egg ½ c. buttermilk 1 ¼ c. flour 1 c. sugar ¼ c. cocoa ¼ c. boiling water 1tsp. soda 1 stick butter = ¼ pound cook until done in oven, 300deg? 20 min? i think you mix the soda and the cocoa, then add the boiling water to it, and so on,... oh yes the absolute first thing is to melt the butter in the fry pan in the oven. ["skillet" = old fashioned word for frying pan] Edited September 23, 2012 by mathwonk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Did you look at the $129 set from Walmart I linked to earlier? Do not own these myself, but have read nothing but very positive reviews about these over the years. They also have bigger sets. Bill I have the bigger set and they are great. I've always had a mismatched assortment of pots and pans (including some very old Reverware that I liked a lot). But we got an induction stove last year and About half of my pots no longer worked. So I bought the large Walmart set and have been amazed how much easier they are to cook in than the assotment of pots I have that only have the bottom plate (sorry I don't remember what it is called). The layers going all the way up the sides really makes a difference. My most used of the collection is the 12 qt pot because with the size of my family we cook large amounts of food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 scan pan has non-stick that is uberhard and long lasting. just a warning, they are quite pricy, but we love the one's we have. dept store calphalon just doens't cut it anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwallowTail Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I have not read the thread, but we love our enamel-coated cast iron, and our antique cast iron. We also have one heavy duty stainless fry pan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I think the cheapest option here is to stalk Bill and steal his cookware. :D I don't think you need to spend a million dollars or have all one brand. I've used stainless Farberware for 19 years. It's held up and I've managed just fine. I'm not sure I can blame the few meals I've burned on the pots. I mainly use the pots for pastas and soups. I never use the pan. I agree that super cheap, super thin cookware is impossible to cook with, but with a modicum of skill you CAN produce delicious meals with mid-grade cookware. I should own up that dishwasher-safe is important to me for everyday cooking. Yes, I'm THAT lazy about dishes. For this reason, I know that you have to leave water in a cast iron skillet for a while before it rusts. :D For pans, I have cast iron, a Dutch oven, and a cheap ikea "egg skillet" that I replace every few years. (I'm not the only cook here and DH and dd refuse to deal with cast iron.) If you have a Tuesday Morning or Home Goods, you can buy la Creuset and cephalon at DEEP discounts. You just have to keep checking for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathwonk Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Bill, for a knife what about this? http://www.amazon.com/Sabatier-Forged-Carbon-Steel-France/dp/B007NZPYVK/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1348438936&sr=1-3&keywords=sabatier+knives Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Bill, for a knife what about this? http://www.amazon.com/Sabatier-Forged-Carbon-Steel-France/dp/B007NZPYVK/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1348438936&sr=1-3&keywords=sabatier+knives That looks pretty cool. Are you thinking about one? I see they have a 6" one too. I might be tempted by the slighty smaller one. bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathwonk Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 yes i am tempted to try one or the other of those sizes. i am a little nervous since apparently there are "sabatier" knives of low quality made in china as well, but this one says made in france. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 yes i am tempted to try one or the other of those sizes. i am a little nervous since apparently there are "sabatier" knives of low quality made in china as well, but this one says made in france. My memory could be faulty, or things may have changed, but I'm pretty sure I held one of these Sabatier knives in a knife shop in Carmel almost 10 years ago and thinking it was "sweet." I don't know about you, but the 8" Chef Knife (while a pretty standard size) is almost always a bigger knife than I want to use, and the ones I have in that size are my least used knives. So personally I'd go for a 6". Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Check for a Le Creuset outlet near you. You can get great deals. I have 2 dutch ovens(7 qt and 15.5 qt) from them. Both had over spray and the other was missing a knob. For both and a new knob was less than the 7qt dutch oven on Amazon. They work beautifully and the only way to notice the overspray is to put your face almost up against the lid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathwonk Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 ok i ordered the 6". thanks. another review there said the same about the usefulness of that size knife. i also realized the only reason my wife uses her 8" is that is the only one that cuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jpoy85 Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Revere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My parents have this exact set and got it as a wedding gift in 85- they STILL have them and use them. So when I went looking for good pots- I went with Revere. I have had mine since 07 and they are working great!!!! I have this set: Revere Copper Clad 7pc for $99.99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 ok i ordered the 6". thanks. another review there said the same about the usefulness of that size knife. i also realized the only reason my wife uses her 8" is that is the only one that cuts. I'm excited for you. I'd love to know what you think when you sharpen it and try it out. I'm sure that is going to be a knife to treasure. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 I think the cheapest option here is to stalk Bill and steal his cookware. :D I don't keep my knives sharp for nuthin' :D Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 I don't keep my knives sharp for nuthin' :D Bill Ahhh, but I have swords and a willingness to fight to save money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratford Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Costco (Kirkland brand) used to have a decent and very affordable set of stainless, though I'm not sure whether they still sell it. They still sell it....we bought it for BIL/SIL as a wedding gift recently and they love it. It's the same set my parents have (and love.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathwonk Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 It arrived today, and is pretty sharp right out of the box, althjough not as sharp as I used to keep my knives back in the 50's . Since I am out of practice at sharpening a real knife I just started using it. It is a pleasure again to use a knife that actually cuts. Cutting and chopping has again returned to being a pleasure from being a frustrating chore. Just helped out preparing garlic and tomato bits for sauce to go with scallops for pasta tonight. Thanks for the tip on the size. This is a nice size, light and yet with enough substance to feel good in the hand. I am rinsing and wiping it as I use it, but do not worry about it staining. What a pleasure after all these years of using crummy overpriced knives from Macy's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 It arrived today, and is pretty sharp right out of the box, althjough not as sharp as I used to keep my knives back in the 50's . Since I am out of practice at sharpening a real knife I just started using it. It is a pleasure again to use a knife that actually cuts. Cutting and chopping has again returned to being a pleasure from being a frustrating chore. Just helped out preparing garlic and tomato bits for sauce to go with scallops for pasta tonight. Thanks for the tip on the size. This is a nice size, light and yet with enough substance to feel good in the hand. I am rinsing and wiping it as I use it, but do not worry about it staining. What a pleasure after all these years of using crummy overpriced knives from Macy's. Sounds great. I'm glad the size worked out for you. There is nothing like a good sharp knife, and carbon-steel is hard to beat. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathwonk Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 i could not resist and have already tuned it up a little, and it is noticeably sharper. this is a real knife. i had no idea they still made them like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 i could not resist and have already tuned it up a little, and it is noticeably sharper. this is a real knife. i had no idea they still made them like this. A sharper knife is safer anyway, unless—of course—one cuts off their finger :D Good man for sharpening it, I some how knew you would. You are making me want one of these. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 Check for a Le Creuset outlet near you. You can get great deals. I have 2 dutch ovens(7 qt and 15.5 qt) from them. Both had over spray and the other was missing a knob. For both and a new knob was less than the 7qt dutch oven on Amazon. They work beautifully and the only way to notice the overspray is to put your face almost up against the lid. :iagree: I am very particular and can often find items on their seconds shelves with no clear flaw. They used to have a mailing list at our outlet store to sign up for sales....and the discounts were applied even to the seconds! Love my Le Creuset! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 I have looked at the DeBuyer mineral steel pans that Bill mentioned. Would they be good for frying eggs? I did not purchase a Le Creuset frying pan because the saleslady thought they got too hot to fry an egg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 (edited) I have looked at the DeBuyer mineral steel pans that Bill mentioned. Would they be good for frying eggs? I did not purchase a Le Creuset frying pan because the saleslady thought they got too hot to fry an egg. Once seasoned carbon-steel frying pans are very good for frying eggs. BTW, it is not my experience that Le Creuset is poor with eggs. They take a little time to get up to their stable heat (and you would not want to crank them up to high heat and over-heat the pan) but with moderate heat enameled cast-iron is good for eggs. Bill ETA: it also seems to me that eggs in LeCreuset tend to have a softer-creamier-moister texture, where eggs cooked in carbon-steel tend to have a firmer texture. So it depends on the style you prefer. Bill Edited October 1, 2012 by Spy Car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsingscrapper Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 I would like to get a couple of new pieces but need to balance price and quality. This thread has me considering Emerilware for stainless but not sure what to do about enameled cast iron. I've got a track record of being hard on pans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 I would like to get a couple of new pieces but need to balance price and quality. This thread has me considering Emerilware for stainless but not sure what to do about enameled cast iron. I've got a track record of being hard on pans. How are you hard on them? Burning them? Are you afraid of chipping them, or scratching them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 Once seasoned carbon-steel frying pans are very good for frying eggs. BTW, it is not my experience that Le Creuset is poor with eggs. They take a little time to get up to their stable heat (and you would not want to crank them up to high heat and over-heat the pan) but with moderate heat enameled cast-iron is good for eggs. Bill ETA: it also seems to me that eggs in LeCreuset tend to have a softer-creamier-moister texture, where eggs cooked in carbon-steel tend to have a firmer texture. So it depends on the style you prefer. Bill Thanks! :001_smile: I got rid of my Calphalon everyday pan, frittata pan, and 12" skillet. If you had to choose one large pan to replace these, and did not want another nonstick, what would you choose? I would use it for browning and searing meats, cooking eggs, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsingscrapper Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 I made an epic fail on dh's fave cast iron beast by trying to deglaze it with cold liquid. Lesson learned=use hot or warm liquid on screaming hot cast iron. Other than that, non-stick pans don't survive long because the heat is too high. My regular stainless pans are okay, though. My dh calls me "impatient" and has commented that I would be better off with heavy-duty pans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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